History Trivia / Spartacus

** Douglas and Kubrick weren't the only ones feuding on set. Creator/LaurenceOlivier and Creator/CharlesLaughton, longtime rivals, were barely on speaking terms; Olivier actually refused to film a key scene between them unless Laughton left the set. Laughton's prima donna behavior aggravated everyone, storming off the set and threatening to sue Douglas for trimming his part. Olivier was distracted by his dissolving marriage with Creator/VivienLeigh and exasperated Douglas by insisting that he play Spartacus. And both Laughton and Peter Ustinov disliked Dalton Trumbo's script, rewriting scenes on set or else ad-libbing dialogue. Only Jean Simmons avoided the squabbling, partly because she missed six weeks of shooting after an emergency surgery. In addition, Douglas caught the flu and Tony Curtis injured his Achilles tendon playing tennis.

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** Douglas and Kubrick weren't the only ones feuding on set. Creator/LaurenceOlivier and Creator/CharlesLaughton, longtime rivals, were barely on speaking terms; Olivier actually refused to film a key scene between them unless Laughton left the set. Laughton's prima donna behavior aggravated everyone, storming off the set and threatening to sue Douglas for trimming his part. Olivier was distracted by his dissolving marriage with Creator/VivienLeigh and exasperated Douglas by insisting that he play Spartacus. And both Laughton and Peter Ustinov disliked Dalton Trumbo's script, rewriting scenes on set or else ad-libbing dialogue. Only Jean Simmons avoided the squabbling, partly because she missed six weeks of shooting after an emergency surgery. In addition, Douglas caught the flu and Tony Curtis Creator/TonyCurtis injured his Achilles tendon playing tennis.

** Douglas and Kubrick weren't the only ones feuding on set. Creator/LaurenceOlivier and Creator/CharlesLaughton, longtime rivals, were barely on speaking terms; Olivier actually refused to film a key scene between them unless Laughton left the set. Laughton's prima donna behavior aggravated everyone, storming off the set and threatening to sue Douglas for trimming his part. Olivier was distracted by his dissolving marriage with Vivien Leigh and exasperated Douglas by insisting that he play Spartacus. And both Laughton and Peter Ustinov disliked Dalton Trumbo's script, rewriting scenes on set or else ad-libbing dialogue. Only Jean Simmons avoided the squabbling, partly because she missed six weeks of shooting after an emergency surgery. In addition, Douglas caught the flu and Tony Curtis injured his Achilles tendon playing tennis.

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** Douglas and Kubrick weren't the only ones feuding on set. Creator/LaurenceOlivier and Creator/CharlesLaughton, longtime rivals, were barely on speaking terms; Olivier actually refused to film a key scene between them unless Laughton left the set. Laughton's prima donna behavior aggravated everyone, storming off the set and threatening to sue Douglas for trimming his part. Olivier was distracted by his dissolving marriage with Vivien Leigh Creator/VivienLeigh and exasperated Douglas by insisting that he play Spartacus. And both Laughton and Peter Ustinov disliked Dalton Trumbo's script, rewriting scenes on set or else ad-libbing dialogue. Only Jean Simmons avoided the squabbling, partly because she missed six weeks of shooting after an emergency surgery. In addition, Douglas caught the flu and Tony Curtis injured his Achilles tendon playing tennis.

*** There is a similar sequence in existing copies the film, when Varinia announces to Spartacus that she is pregnant. Tree branches are used as SceneryCensor for the most part, so all you see in that scene is Simmons' rear.

* AwardCategoryFraud: The movie was mostly shot by Kubrick himself, but the Oscar ut won in that caregory went to Russell Metty.

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* AwardCategoryFraud: The movie was mostly shot by Kubrick Creator/StanleyKubrick himself, but the Oscar ut won in that caregory category went to Russell Metty.Metty.* CreativeDifferences: Creator/KirkDouglas, a passionate Zionist, wanted the history depicted to parallel the story of the Jewish people. He clashed with screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who was more interested in making the film a commentary on the Cold War.

* DeletedScenes: Over half-an-hour of footage was removed from the original cut, notably the "snails and oysters" exchange between Crassus and Antoninus, and some of the more graphic battle scenes. Some of this was restored in the early '90s. It's also alleged that the Battle of Metapontnum was filmed but cut from the final version, and that Julius Caesar's subplot (defecting from Gracchus to Crassus) was far more prominent in Kubrick's original cut.

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* DeletedScenes: DeletedScenes: ** Over half-an-hour of footage was removed from the original cut, notably the "snails and oysters" exchange between Crassus and Antoninus, and some of the more graphic battle scenes. Some of this was restored in the early '90s. It's also alleged that the Battle of Metapontnum was filmed but cut from the final version, and that Julius Caesar's subplot (defecting from Gracchus to Crassus) was far more prominent in Kubrick's original cut.cut.** European prints of the film contained a scene in which a nude Jean Simmons bathes in a pond. Stills and lobby cards exist, but the scene has not appeared in any re-issue.* MissingEpisode: The film premiered at 202 minutes. However, the prints from the premiere were lost in the 1970s when Universal threw out all the film's tracks, outtakes, additional prints etc. The Criterion Collection has 4 minutes of lost scenes involving the Gracchus subplot:** After the first senatorial meeting scene, Gracchus and Caesar walk around the market discussing the dirty tactic of fishing votes. (Shown in production-still form)** Gracchus commits suicide by slitting his wrist in the bathtub. This occurred immediately after he closes the curtain near the end of the film. Only the audio track was found in the studio vault.

** EnforcedMethodActing: Charles Laughton and Sir Laurence Olivier were longtime rivals who really hated each other, which added to their onscreen rivalry as Gracchus and Crassus.

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** EnforcedMethodActing: Charles Laughton Creator/CharlesLaughton and Sir Laurence Olivier Creator/LaurenceOlivier were longtime rivals who really hated each other, which added to their onscreen rivalry as Gracchus and Crassus.

Added DiffLines:

** The slaves' final battle was originally to be intercut with Varinia giving birth to her child, to give a contrast of destruction and creation. This idea was scrapped for running time purposes.

** Creator/StanleyKubrick originally wanted Creator/AudreyHepburn to play Varinia. Creator/KirkDouglas had Creator/JeanneMoreau in mind, but she was in Paris and wouldn't leave to do the film. Creator/IngridBergman was also considered.

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** Creator/StanleyKubrick originally wanted Creator/AudreyHepburn to play Varinia. Creator/KirkDouglas had Creator/JeanneMoreau Jeanne Moreau in mind, but she was in Paris and wouldn't leave to do the film. Creator/IngridBergman was also considered.

** The original director, Creator/AnthonyMann, shot some early scenes with Creator/PeterUstinov but dropped out after a few days. Douglas offered Creator/DavidLean, Creator/JosephLMankiewicz and others the chance to direct; he even considered letting Olivier take over direction. All declined. Then Douglas remembered Creator/StanleyKubrick, whom he'd worked with on ''Film/PathsOfGlory'', and offered him the job. Ominously, Kubrick had just dropped out of ''Film/OneEyedJacks'', another film with a temperamental producer-star (Creator/MarlonBrando).

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** The original director, Creator/AnthonyMann, Anthony Mann, shot some early scenes with Creator/PeterUstinov Peter Ustinov but dropped out after a few days. Douglas offered Creator/DavidLean, Creator/JosephLMankiewicz and others the chance to direct; he even considered letting Olivier take over direction. All declined. Then Douglas remembered Creator/StanleyKubrick, whom he'd worked with on ''Film/PathsOfGlory'', and offered him the job. Ominously, Kubrick had just dropped out of ''Film/OneEyedJacks'', another film with a temperamental producer-star (Creator/MarlonBrando).

** Douglas and Kubrick weren't the only ones feuding on set. Creator/LaurenceOlivier and Creator/CharlesLaughton, longtime rivals, were barely on speaking terms; Olivier actually refused to film a key scene between them unless Laughton left the set. Laughton's prima donna behavior aggravated everyone, storming off the set and threatening to sue Douglas for trimming his part. Olivier was distracted by his dissolving marriage with Vivien Leigh and exasperated Douglas by insisting that he play Spartacus. And both Laughton and Creator/PeterUstinov disliked Creator/DaltonTrumbo's script, rewriting scenes on set or else ad-libbing dialogue. Only Creator/JeanSimmons avoided the squabbling, partly because she missed six weeks of shooting after an emergency surgery. In addition, Douglas caught the flu and Creator/TonyCurtis injured his Achilles tendon playing tennis.

to:

** Douglas and Kubrick weren't the only ones feuding on set. Creator/LaurenceOlivier and Creator/CharlesLaughton, longtime rivals, were barely on speaking terms; Olivier actually refused to film a key scene between them unless Laughton left the set. Laughton's prima donna behavior aggravated everyone, storming off the set and threatening to sue Douglas for trimming his part. Olivier was distracted by his dissolving marriage with Vivien Leigh and exasperated Douglas by insisting that he play Spartacus. And both Laughton and Creator/PeterUstinov Peter Ustinov disliked Creator/DaltonTrumbo's Dalton Trumbo's script, rewriting scenes on set or else ad-libbing dialogue. Only Creator/JeanSimmons Jean Simmons avoided the squabbling, partly because she missed six weeks of shooting after an emergency surgery. In addition, Douglas caught the flu and Creator/TonyCurtis Tony Curtis injured his Achilles tendon playing tennis.

** Douglas hired blacklisted screenwriter Creator/DaltonTrumbo to write the script, under his alias Sam Jackson. At some point during production, journalist Hedda Hopper discovered the identity of "Jackson" and demanded Douglas fire the screenwriter. In this case, Douglas stood his ground; he not only retained Trumbo but credited him in the finished film, hence breaking the Hollywood blacklist. Douglas's decision was vindicated as Spartacus became a smash hit.* WagTheDirector: Creator/KirkDouglas, as producer of the film, fired the original director, Anthony Mann (who later made ''Film/ElCid'' and ''Film/TheFallOfTheRomanEmpire'') and brought in relative newcomer Creator/StanleyKubrick. Guess who wore the pants on set? Indeed, after making ''Spartacus'', Kubrick shifted to England and made all his remaining films there under highly controlled conditions feeling that he would never truly be free working within the Hollywood system. ** In addition to Douglas, Creator/LaurenceOlivier, Crreator/CharlesLaughton and Creator/PeterUstinov would often rewrite their own lines.

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** Douglas hired blacklisted screenwriter Creator/DaltonTrumbo Dalton Trumbo to write the script, under his alias Sam Jackson. At some point during production, journalist Hedda Hopper discovered the identity of "Jackson" and demanded Douglas fire the screenwriter. In this case, Douglas stood his ground; he not only retained Trumbo but credited him in the finished film, hence breaking the Hollywood blacklist. Douglas's decision was vindicated as Spartacus became a smash hit.* WagTheDirector: Creator/KirkDouglas, as producer of the film, fired the original director, Anthony Mann (who later made ''Film/ElCid'' and ''Film/TheFallOfTheRomanEmpire'') ''The Fall Of The Roman Empire'') and brought in relative newcomer Creator/StanleyKubrick. Guess who wore the pants on set? Indeed, after making ''Spartacus'', Kubrick shifted to England and made all his remaining films there under highly controlled conditions feeling that he would never truly be free working within the Hollywood system. ** In addition to Douglas, Creator/LaurenceOlivier, Crreator/CharlesLaughton Creator/CharlesLaughton and Creator/PeterUstinov Peter Ustinov would often rewrite their own lines.

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